The Most Dangerous Threat to Your Staff and Business Survival

Being involved with technology solutions professionals see things that could be a real threat to you, your staff or even your business; while the internet can be seen as a wonderful tool (cloud based communications and solutions for example) and all of the other great achievements that the internet has created there is a far darker side to it all; of that there is no doubt and it can be a real threat.

And factually you have in your business nowhere to run or nowhere to hide; sooner or later it becomes a high odd’s bet that employee, you or your company will suffer and in severe cases the effects could even close your company overnight.

Don’t believe this? Read on where examples of actual major threats are shown below. Not worried? You should be!

It’s so dangerous that Deloitte opened a cyber threat hunting service!

But on an everyday level to ordinary SME’s just like your business there really is no amount of anti virus this or anti malware that available that is really going to help; the examples below show you exactly why; things these days have moved on exponentially to levels that you may not believe, but some are revealed that are actual examples highlighting just how bad these threats have become. There will be casualties no doubt but you don’t want to be one of them!

Email has been a driving force that has moved forward communications between every aspect of business that anyone could imagine, from sales, customers, support, management, publicity and many more important areas; but it’s obvious that the underlying technology of email servers are flawed and because it’s now a worldwide transport for communications that’s hard to fix; these communications channels have to be compatible with every other email server in the world and that creates massive inherent vulnerabilities.

In almost every town, city or country, government bodies are working towards combating fraud and other nasty things from many areas, but email is one of the most widely abused platforms there is because of the ease of abuse by non-experts. And if you’re not an expert it does not take long to learn how to be one!

One organisation in the UK is Action Fraud operated by the police and while they handle other areas of fraud, email scams are very high on their list.

But here’s where things start to get nasty. Since the advent of cryptocurrency worldwide fraud has increased exponentially. And in the USA SEC Rejects Bitcoin Exchange Traded Fund because they are very concerned about investor losses in Bitcoin.

However, this article is specific; Bitcoin is being used fraudulently and in both of the cases shown below Bitcoin is clearly involved in the transportation of monies to the perpetrators of these illegal demands on you, your staff or even your business. It’s no joke and anyone ignoring these really bad potential harms to their organisation will sooner or later come unstuck in maybe a really big way. The results could be catostrophic.

The first example shown below included personal details of the recipient that have been removed for security reasons. But this email (that passed every check through a company’s infrastructure) is threatening the life of an employee and should never be ignored.

Note that bitcoin and email addresses are edited for security purposes throughout this article.

HERE IS EXAMPLE ONE VERBATIM:

“From: kristin*********

Sent: ******

To: *********

Subject: How to save themself

Read this warn carefully, since it can be the last in your life.

People are by nature envious. Given the fact of successful development of your business, people (your contestant ) paid me 30,000 Pound Sterling for your head on a stick.

It’s not the first time I’ve done this kind of work, but I’m already tired of these envious bastards and your life will be the last one I’ll take or will not do, it’s up to you.

Under normal circumstances, I would just do the work for which I was paid without going into the details, but I’m going to get away from it and go on a long-awaited vacation.

You have 2 versions for deciding this problem.

Adopt my proposal or refuse.

You pay me 5 thousand GBP for safe your life and you receive all the information about the customer with whom you apply to the police and thus you save your life and the lives of your relatives.

The second option is you ignore my proposal and turn to the police, but by the same token you will only postpone your judgment day, even if I can not do the work, then somebody else will do it, not within a week and say in a month or half a year, but order for your head will be fulfilled sooner or later.

Thus, you will be afraid of every rustle, walk around looking and thinking that you are being persecuted.

If you want such a life, your choice, but if I were you, I would think very well.

Tickets to England have been taken for July **, and you have exactly 3 days to transfer money to an anonymous account bitcoin 1QJNjRmon3iD3RwdjaGomFLHs25B******.

I can check the last time receipt of money before the flight to you, on the **th

In the event of receiving a reward, I will not come to take your life, but will also pass all the information about your customer (Let the bastards get what they deserve) and you can protect yourself, otherwise you know the consequences.

The well-being of the future life depends on your choice.

Think about your life, you family.

on all will of Allah”

END OF EMAIL MESSAGE ONE

The above email is unedited except for recipients details and Bitcoin account numbers. It can be clearly seen in this email that there is a threat on the life of the recipient. While some recipients would simply brush this type of email off, others become extremely concerned; it’s easy to see exactly why. Indeed some recipients will go and pay the demanded money and not think twice. Imagine that a key employee received this email and they completely believed its contents? The resultant downfall of the employee could be extreme. This email threatens the recipients life and mentions their family etc.

Notice that the spelling is incorrect for English on this example (undisclosed but its in the content) and somehow the writer suggests that the email is the ‘will of Allah’. Probably not. But the user identified the recipient was in ‘England’ likely from the email address so the recipient could believe some of the contents.

The above email passed numerous checks throughout the receiving companies infrastructure. Now it’s easy to see if you are tech savvy, but most email users are not. And if you’re a small SME then things could happen that could literally create very serious effects on your business even though the email targeted an employee. But if you’re not tech savvy and a company owner, would you believe the above? and send money? Many will have and that ‘feeds’ the criminals for millions of pounds or in this case $US.

Bitcoin in the above example is used because Bitcoin CANNOT be traced to the ultimate recipient of the payment. This is a major flaw in crypto currency and one reason (irrespective of some suggesting it’s an easy way to make money) you really should have nothing to do with it. Criminals use Bitcoin all the time.

As suggested, you just might not believe the above email if you received it, but there is no doubt that you might well believe the next example because it has information in it that is only known by you!

HERE IS EXAMPLE TWO VERBATIM:

From: “Gloriana Feany”

To: *********************

Date: *********

Subject: (HERE WAS THE USERS NAME AND THEIR PASSWORD)

I know ****** is your password. Lets get right to the purpose. You may not know me and you are most likely thinking why you are getting this email? Nobody has paid me to check you.

actually, I actually setup a malware on the X videos (porn material) web site and you know what, you visited this site to have fun (you know what I mean). While you were viewing videos, your web browser initiated operating as a RDP that has a key logger which gave me access to your display and webcam. Immediately after that, my software program gathered every one of your contacts from your Messenger, social networks, and emailaccount. And then I created a video. First part displays the video you were watching (you’ve got a fine taste hehe), and 2nd part displays the recording of your web camera, yea it is u.

There are two different possibilities. Let us take a look at each one of these options in details:

1st alternative is to skip this message. In this case, I most certainly will send your very own video clip to all your your contacts and visualize concerning the humiliation you will see. Moreover if you happen to be in a committed relationship, how it will affect?

Next choice should be to give me $3000. We are going to call it a donation. In this scenario, I most certainly will quickly remove your videotape. You will continue your way of life like this never took place and you will never hear back again from me.

You will make the payment through Bitcoin (if you do not know this, search for “how to buy bitcoin” in Google search engine).

BTC Address: 18PvdmxemjDkNxHF3p3Fu9wkaAZ********

[CASE sensitive, copy & paste it]

In case you are thinking about going to the law enforcement officials, very well, this e-mail can not be traced back to me. I have covered my actions. I am also not trying to charge you a lot, I simply want to be rewarded. I’ve a unique pixel in this e-mail, and at this moment I know that you have read through this email message. You have one day in order to pay. If I don’t get the BitCoins, I will certainly send your video to all of your contacts including family members, colleagues, etc. Having said that, if I receive the payment, I’ll erase the recording right away. If you really want evidence, reply Yup! then I will send out your video to your 7 friends. This is the non-negotiable offer, and thus please do not waste my personal time & yours by responding to this e mail.

END OF EXAMPLE TWO EMAIL:

This is an entirely different threat. The recipient picked this email up because of a multitude of reasons that were simply incorrect and not representative of their actions on the internet; however, the stated password was about 80% shown (and it would be reasonable to assume the perpetrator knew the rest of the password). This could be seen by many as a factual document and it’s credibility is created in the recipients mind by the inclusion of the password in to the threat.

Imagine owning a SME business that might indeed be a larger business, the threat demanded much more money and the recipient had viewed what was suggested in the email? People do. It could be seen as likely or at;east a possibility that the recipient might well pay the money to the perpetrator through Bitcoin. And again Bitcoin rears its ugly head.

Again in this second email instance shown the email passed all checks and tests in the company where the email was received. So these are real threats to individuals or business.

But consider this; how did the perpetrator get the recipients password? (it was an old password but nevertheless was mostly valid). The perpetrator suggested key logging on a site known for pornographic video and images. But that is most likely not where the perp got the details from.

When reading about companies like Facebook, TalkTalk, Dixons Carphone Warehouse, Equifax, Adobe, AOL, Apple, AT&T, British Airways, Mastercard and Visa, Compass Bank, Dominos Pizza, DVLA UK, Dropbox, Kmart, Hewlett Packard, eBay, Experian, Trump Hotels, Gmail, Vodaphone, Walmart, Morgan Stanley, NHS, Ofcom, SnapChat, Adidas, Macys, Sony Pictures (and the list goes on) is it really no wonder that most personal details of importance (even financially) of individuals and businesses are all over the internet. There is a Wikipedia about these breaches of data that is extremely concerning reading as these breaches involve all kinds of information that will no doubt be available to buy on the internet. With the incredible reductions in share prices at Facebook maybe that might be the start of a mass exodus from those sort of ‘social media’ sites; but of course Facebook is merely one of the very long list of companies that have let you down through not protecting your data properly as the list above clearly demonstrates.

Its easy to see why GDPR has become law and countries will continue to pass GDPR legislation accordingly. Thank all of the companies mentioned above and many more for allowing this ridiculous situation that could be the start of the downfall of the internet as it is known today.

But is it time to go back and retrospectively fine each and every company involved in the dispersal of personal details? Are those companies any less ‘guilty’ now? It seems for many companies that the only thing they understand is when they are faced with very large fines; and even the fines might be irrelevant to organisations like Facebook and Google because large fines seem to be ‘petty cash’ to some of those companies. But shere price reduction wakes them up.

If anyone is concerned about a ‘key logger’ from the above email example getting your information Kaspersky latest offering of internet security includes software that stops key loggers from logging your information as you type.

A third example of fraud covered in this article relates to a company that received an email pro-forma invoice to pay from one of its regular suppliers. One day the finance department received a pro-forma invoice that needed to be paid immediately. The email address and the invoice itself looked entirely unremarkable. The sending company advised the finance department that they had recently changed banks and that the new details were on the invoice attached. Finance paid the £60,000+ ( $US 80,000) invoice.

The only problem was, that the invoice was completely fraudulent, the email address did read correctly unless you looked close (instead of wonderful.com it was wonderfull.com (just made up example to illustrate the methodology used) and the recipient in the finance department saw and read what they were used to seeing. The real question is, how did the perpetrators get all that information about what an invoice should be like, the real suppliers details, etc., their website and email addresses and more; it’s food for thought and make no mistake it can be so easy to allow one of these scams through your business; the chances are pretty high and the consequences could be dire and even bankrupt your business if taken to the extreme.

There is no doubt that the underlying email systems are no longer fit for purpose in general and have not been for some time. Notice that in the first example the scammer sent mail from ‘mail.bg’ and the second one (even more concerning) was from ‘outlook.com’. While the sending email addresses can be ‘replaced’ with any email address upon examination those two shown emails seemed to be real; indeed one of the perps even used Google to advise how to use Bitcoin for payment. But there are multiples of very large companies that every day offer a service but allow their email servers and systems to send out such threatening emails to users. Maybe it’s time to pressure these organisations (outlook.com, gmail.com and there are multiples of others) to actually filter their emails properly as well as the sendersbefore these sort of threats go out and create serious harm that these sort of messages could easily do.

Of course there are millions of other examples of fraud through an outdated abused email system (and other related internet technologies) that could be shown here, but the aim of this article is to educate readers so that they don’t fall foul to these sort of appalling scams.

One company, Network Systems has seen many of these sort of internet related issues and offers a cybercrime service to SME’s to help to create a safe environment for empolyees and business as they work on the internet today.

Hopefully this article will at least make the reader think very hard about how they are going to ensure protection of employees and their company and if nothing else that is a wothwhile objective. Using specialist companies will always help more than by just trying to put solutions in place created by someone without experience in this area and could actually save your company.

  • 3 years ago
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Snorkeling in the Bahamas – The Place to Be is Bimini Or New Providence Island

Whether or not you are into snorkeling, scuba diving, vacationing in exotic places, you must have heard of Hawaii some time or the other. Snorkeling in particular you must of heard of the numerous and wondrous adventures that there are to be had in the Bahamas in that part of the Caribbean. Another thing you will also find out is that there a scarcely any other place in the world that offer the grand snorkeling opportunities that are offered in the Bahamas. This is a place that offers the clearest waters out there, a sundry of marine life and underwater picturesque sights that are there for your enjoyment. Sites that is literally breath-taking.

No need to venture from shore

If you as a person are really intrigued with the idea of snorkeling in the Bahamas then you can take to mind that the islands that make of Bahamas offer their own specially made snorkeling tours that allow for snorkeling closer to shore so that there is no need to go out too far in the ocean for a good experience. One of the best things about it is that the coral reefs are not too distant from the shore and in turn there also is amazing marine life just swimming around these areas which really means that you as snorkeler in the Bahamas has all you could want right next to the shore.

One thing you should keep in mind before choosing you favorite spot you should go around examining the underwater sites so that you can prepare properly. Only with good preparation can you really have the experience you should have while snorkeling in the Bahamas.

The Bahamas offers hundreds of islands so it easy to get carried away in the search for a great snorkeling spot, sometimes it is like choosing between the sea and the ocean, lots of choice is it not. Luckily there are some islands that stand out like a diamond in the rough and such is Bimini. Bimini being a district in the Bahamas made up of a chain of islands offers a sanctuary of oceanic and marine beauty. A place best known for being one of the world’s most renowned fishing spots is also regarded as an excellent place for snorkeling just below the waves. If you anymore convincing just type in Bimini in Google search bar and see for yourself, beautiful does not begin to explain it.

Do not think for one moment that Bimini is the only one, there is also New Providence Island or also called Paradise Island, yes Paradise Island, does that not speak for itself. Paradise Island linked to Nassau the capital of the Bahamas by a bridge and most populous island is home to luxurious beaches, a world class golf course, the most plush hotels in the Caribbean, gigantic casinos and of course world class entertainment. It also houses places such as Lost Ocean Hole, Rose Island Reefs and Gambler Deep Reef as well as Booby Rock Channel and even Goulding Reef Cays are ideally suited for snorkeling. In addition, there is also Love Beach on New Providence Island.

Another major plus along that line is that the capital Nassau offers countless operators and first class hotels in addition to resorts where all that is possibly needed for snorkeling can be found, there are even rental shops the offer snorkeling gear, so there really is nothing lacking there. Also if you are a novice to the snorkeling world no need to worry there are numerous instructors around to show you the ropes. Now, really, there is no wonder this place is so popular.

  • 3 years ago
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Does An African Country Or Some Other Needy Nation Beckon You?

A colleague, Andrew Strom, has just sent me a piece on his visit to Nigeria and permission is granted to reproduce part of it. Why do I do this and why do I want you to read it? Well, it so reminded me of my times in Uganda and Kenya, speaking at Pastors Seminars in the slums and out in the jungles.

We recently got back from our trip to Nigeria – and had a wonderful time. The heat and the never ending cloud of dust, smog and diesel fumes were ever-present, but spiritually it was a fantastic trip.

Three times God arranged it that we appeared on nationwide TV – once while we were preaching and praying for the Goveror of Ogun State (a bit like the Governor of California). Only God could arrange such a thing at the last minute, and we made sure He got all the glory. Thank you for your prayers, my friends!

I know a lot of people on this List have had invitations to Third world countries to minister. They want foreign preachers because they know many people will come to hear a “white man” preach!

I want to encourage you to take these opportunities, my friends, even if you have to pay your own way and that is quite likely because they are so poor.

I have come across many Repentance preachers in the USA and the West who have been frustrated and discouraged here with the lack of response and/or openings. We need to realize that there is a wide world out there that is hungry and desperate for sound preaching and biblical truth.

I remember once hearing David Servant make an analogy of a fisherman with two fishing-holes to choose from. In one fishing hole he caught virtually no fish at all, and the one he did catch jumped up and spat water in his face! In the other fishing hole the fish were so desperate to be caught that they were clinging onto the line and he was hauling them in as fast as he could get his pole back in the water! Which fishing hole should he choose? Of course it was the second one -equating to the Third World.

A lot of us think it is the “spiritual” thing to do, to wait and wait and wait right where we are, but as David Servant points out, Jesus clearly told his disciples that if they were not received in one town, to leave that place and go on until they find a receptive place. This is actually a commandment of God. Otherwise all of God’s servants are left wasting their time in unresponsive environments. Jesus commands us to “GO!”

Personally, for many years now I have focused my attention almost entirely on the West. But God is changing that. In fact, it would not surprise me at all if God calls our family to be based in the Third World sometime in the next few years. Such is the need and the hunger there. Sadly it is the exact opposite of what we so often find in the comfortable apathetic West.

I strongly encourage every preacher who is on this List to consider the Third World – and soon. It may be time to think “outside the box”, my friends. You won’t regret it.

Thank you again for your wonderful prayers during our trip. We saw many breakthroughs in the lives of both leaders and people as we spoke on deep repentance and the true message of the CROSS vs. the selfish gospel of gain, etc. A lot of people seemed very surprised and impacted by the messages. So your prayers made a huge difference. Thank you. I hope to return to Africa again in May.

Yours for the Third World Harvest, dear friends.

There is so much written above with which I can identify. Around 70 to 120 Pastors would walk or cycle 10 to 17 miles to attend the three days Seminars, sleeping on the floor of the church building each night. I would be teaching 3 one and a half hour sessions each day with time for questions. These men of God were so hungry.

Strong positive biblical leadership and teaching is so appreciated!

It was worth all the ‘hassle’ of travel and all the ‘inconvenience’. How often I have found over the years that when we are inconvenienced, that is when Almighty God uses us most of all.

Sandy Shaw

  • 3 years ago
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Online Sports Betting – Make Easy Money Working at Home

The biggest reason for somebody to get into online sports betting is that they want to make lots of money with it, obviously. Many even dream about becoming a professional “gambler” and I do not wonder why.

If you want to make easy money working at home, sports betting could very well be the answer for you. The best part is that betting on sports for a living, takes very little of your time each day. Naturally you also don’t have to work from home, all you need is internet connection to make money with online betting and that you can do from the Caribbean if you so wish.

I’m quite sure that now you understand why I don’t wonder that so many people wish to start betting on sporting events to get rich. It is all about financial freedom, which allows you to do whatever you want, whenever you want and the best part is that WHERE EVER you want!

Then how can you make those big bucks by just betting on sports online?

Well, it isn’t easy, at least for most people. Most of online gamblers who bet on sports, end up losing their money. In fact over 90% of gamblers are losers in the long run. Sure, they may get a few winners once in a while, but ultimately they always end up losing their money.

Why do they lose?

Because they are stubborn and stupid! It has been seen many times. Some fresh new gambler thinks that he knows everything about sports and believes that he is destined to win his bets. If you ever wish to make money from sport betting, do NOT make that mistake!

There already are people that make more money from betting than what you could ever dream even in your wildest daydreams. Why not follow these professionals, after all this is all about making tons of money and getting you that “dream job”, this isn’t about you betting on your favorite football team and hoping them to win!

  • 3 years ago
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How To Achieve Self-Realization, The Mother of All Knowledge?

The knowledge of the self is considered to be the best method to realize the True Knowledge of the world, particularly the human beings. In every religion, self-realization has been given the highest place. In Gita Lord Krishna said,

“I shall fully explain to you the Self-knowledge together with Self-realization after knowing that nothing more remains to be known in this world”.

Every religion including Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, Hinduism, Christianity and Judaism emphasize the need of the self-realization through different methods like meditation or yoga. The importance of self-realization is not limited only to the religions. All poets, artists and scientist have realized the highest truth by self-realization. One of the greatest scientist and astronomer, Galileo has rightly said “You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself”. Even the greatest scientist like Einstein did not acquire the knowledge of their theories by experiments but the knowledge of the self by which he could capture the spirit of the Universe. In a letter to a child who asked if scientists pray, Einstein said,

Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe-a spirit vastly superior to that of man…. In this way the pursuit of science leads to a religious feeling of a special sort, which is indeed quite different from the religiosity of someone more naive.

Self-realization is the secret of all the creative people in the field of art, music, literature and poetry. In the words of the world famous poet Kahlil Gibran,

“Knowledge of the self is the mother of all knowledge. So it is incumbent on me to know my self, to know it completely, to know its minutiae, its characteristics, its subtleties, and its very atoms.”

If the knowledge of the self is really the mother of all knowledge, we must all be extremely knowledgeable as all of us seem to know at least one person very well, i.e. ourselves. Why then we do not have all the knowledge of the world.

It is, therefore, evident that there is a mystery contained in the “knowledge of self” and the self-realization is not same as knowing you as a person who has a body, desire, passion and mood that is changing with every moment. What is that, we need to discover in the process of self-realization?

Realization of the Self

When we see the world, from our eyes, we find it continuously moving and changing. People are getting older, new persons are born, old people are dying. If we happen to visit the world after few decades, perhaps we would find none in the same condition as a few decades ago. If we visit, the same place after a century, we may not find any known person. The dresses, the culture, the language, the houses and the lifestyle of the people undergo total change in few decades. Yet there is something that does not change with time and place amid all the changes in the world. This we call this “unchanging reality of the world” as the Spirit of the world.

In the same way, when we try to know ourselves, we find that we too are constantly changing. The changes are quite noticeable on the body as we advance from our childhood, to youth and then adulthood and days of old age. Almost every cell of our body is replaced in few months. Yet there is something in the human body that connects the past, present and future and which does not change.

Like our body, our thoughts and feeling too are changing every moment. Our thoughts today are not same as what we used to think a decade earlier. In some days, we feel happy but on the very next day, we may feel bad and even depressed. All feeling seems to come and go like the fleeting moments. We have sometime noble thoughts that lead us to do the noble deeds. Yet on the very next moment, we seems to be doing just the opposite. We seem to love a person more than our life in one day, yet hate them or become indifferent to them after sometime.

Thus, when you ask this basic question, “Who am I?”, you can hardly get a consistent answer. Unless you know yourself, you can never predict your behaviour and feelings in a particular context or in the future just like one can not predict weather or solar eclipse unless one has the full knowledge of the nature and planetary motion.

However, if we happen to pay close attention to know ourselves, we would soon start noticing that amongst the hundreds of changes going on in the body and mind every, moment, there is something that remains unchanged throughout our life. This unchanging reality is our True Self that gives us our identity and the goal of self-realization.

Thus the realization of the self is no easier than realization of the world. G.K. Chesterton, said

“One may understand the cosmos, but never the ego; the self is more distant than any star”.

Thus the realization of the self is possible only by paying close attention to the self and the world as both seems to be in the continuous state of flux. However, when one pays close attentions to the world around him, with a goal to find a connection between the apparently different events, he soon starts noticing a pattern within the dissimilar events. This pattern is the realization of the Ultimate Reality or the Ultimate Truth. In the words of K.T. Jong

It is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts.

Steps to Achieve Self-Realization

The first step to self-realization is close observation of the world without and within and making an attempt to find a reason for everything. When we meet different people or observe different events in our life, we often treat them happening by chance on random basis. Thus we fail to learn anything from the happening around us. However, if we believe that all effects are arising out due to some cause and due to some reason, we shall gradually discover the cause and reason behind every happening. There is a cause for your good and bad mood, your happiness and depression, love and hate emotions. However, the necessary condition of the self-realization is that the knowledge has to emerge from within unassisted by any external agent or agency and not on the basis of some theory propounded by any expert or specialist or scripture. In the same way the cause and reason for the all happenings in the outside world also has to be analyzed with the effort of the self knowldge.

Once, we get some logic and reason for the actions in the world, which comes from within by the help of intuition, the next step is to test the knowledge. This is not very difficult. For example, if you have found that your particular action is the cause of your happiness, you can enhance that action and the happiness must be increase. In the same way, your sadness must reduce by curbing the action that you found causes sadness. If your “intuition” is correct, gradually you must be able to make yourself a better person as you can achieve what you like most while avoiding the one which you don’t like.

The third step of self-realization to experiment your self-knowledge to the world outside. The knowledge of the self is not only for the self satisfaction or for the purpose of spiritual aspiration of the self but also equally applicable for the outside worlds as the whole world is created from the single cause which we refer as God or Supreme Being. A man by the knowledge of the Self actually realizes the knowledge of the Universe since the Self or Soul or Atman of the person is an integrated part of the Universal Soul or Spirit. Thus the knowledge of the self is applicable not only to the self but to all the people of the world as the “Self” of every person is same notwithstanding the external manifestation of the person which seems to be different for each person and seems to be changing every moment.

Don’t Be Knowledgeable: Be The Knowledge

In the modern world, there is no dearth of information which is often confused with knowledge. However, if one acquires all knowledge of the world, he becomes at the most a moving library of the knowledge. This knowledge is hardly of any use since the acquired knowledge is often contradictory and confusing.

A self-realized person does not acquire worldly knowledge but acquired knowledge from the depth of his soul. Thus he taps the knowledge of the universe and become knowledge itself. He knows the fundamental of the universe as though his Self he connects the Self or Soul of the Universe. Thus the self-knowledge is the mother of all knowledge since all knowledge can be created automatically by a self-realized person.

It is therefore, no surprise that self-realized people are highly valued in the society. All prophets realized the divine knowledge through the self-realization and they have been given the status of God. They are the Gurus and teachers of the humanity who have provided solutions to the problems of the mankind.

  • 3 years ago
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Offshore Oil Drilling Jobs And Careers

People are often amazed at the choices available for oil rig jobs offshore. Ranging from very technical to general labor, oil rig jobs cover a broad range of specialties. You will have no trouble finding an oil rig job performing almost anything you care to work at.

Rig careers can include environmental engineers, responsible for working with the engineer, the driller and crew, as well as a lot of other fields and disciplines in order to assure that the oil can be produced and gotten from the ground leaving minimal impact to the world around us.

The people who are in charge of discovering the oil and bringing it out of the ground are to be found in the drilling team, the engineering team and the geological team. These all work together to discover the oil, determine the best way to access it, and then pump it and transport it, utilizing tanker vessels as well as pipelines to get the petroleum to shore.

Once the oil gets to shore, the pipeline workers, from engineers to laborers, are responsible for seeing the oil properly distributed to the refineries. Since most of our oil is moved from place to place now via the pipelines, employees who work the pipes are both well paid and secure in their positions.

Today more than ever before oil rig careers are increasing rapidly. It is projected by the Labor Bureau that the oil and gas rig jobs are going to rise steadily over the next five years and well into the future.

Landing an oil rig job today will have you in early retirement, with all the time in the world to be with your friends and loved ones. Not only are oil rig jobs thrilling, they also pay so well that you will be able to put away a small fortune if you save diligently, allowing you to enjoy both an early and a prosperous retirement.

There are a great many of areas in which you can choose to work, whether on a land based rig, or offshore, but most find it easier to start with a land-based crew, or in another area of the industry, such as the pipelines and transport, or well servicing, or the refineries.

These areas of the industry also pay very well, and there are a wide range of jobs to choose from, from the IT department, inspectors, technicians, laborers, pipe-fitters, chemists and a wide range of engineering specialties.

With the assistance of a good employment guide and the online recruiting resources that are available, almost anyone can start a new career in the oil industry simply by putting together a good resume and list of companies and jobs he or she is interested in, then applying and interviewing to the best of one’s ability. It is a common-sense axiom that those who sow, reap, so put out a little effort; you will be well rewarded.

  • 3 years ago
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Indiscipline Among the Students

The indiscipline among the students is on the increase. This is a fact borne out by daily happenings in schools and colleges. The newspapers are full of reports of unrest and indiscipline among students. It has become one of the serious problems being faced by the country. Students go on strikes, they resort to copying and cheating in the examination, insult their teachers and principals. They tear away pages from the library books or pictures from the magazines, write dirty things on walls etc. and indulge in many other kinds of mischief. They clash with the police, throw stones and brickbats at them and practice violence at any pretext.

This widespread unrest and indiscipline among the students reflect the prevailing indiscipline, lawlessness and frustration in the society. The students alone are not to be blamed. There is too much political interference in schools and educational institutions. The students are misled and misused by various political parties to serve their selfish ends. The postings, appointments, transfers etc. in schools, colleges and universities are made not on merits but other considerations. Corruption and favouritism are rampant in these temples of learning.

The teachers themselves are corrupt. They are greedy and run after illegal means of making quick money. They do not inspire confidence, hope and honesty among students. They indulge in dirty politics and can stoop to any depth to have money. Therefore, there is a crisis of character. Students have no role models to follow. Students find themselves groping in the dark. The cable and TV boom and influence of western ideas and culture have further worsened the situation. The rapid disintegration of families has also contributed to the increasing indiscipline among students. There is neither character, nor values, nor morals in the society. Students imitate their parents, teachers, leaders and elders and behave accordingly.

The education imparted in schools and colleges is totally irrelevant. It is not job-oriented. Students fail to get suitable and early employment after finishing their education and training. There is favouritism and nepotism in employment. One has to pay huge amount of money as bride to secure even a modest job. Students with resources and recommendations get all the good jobs. Reservation of jobs for certain categories of students has further worsened the situation. The merit has been marginalised.

Therefore, students feel cheated, frustrated and disillusioned. When without any hope or employment, they become quite restless and indulge in all sorts of indiscipline. There is no proper guidance, advice etc., in regard to the selection of courses of studies and careers. As a result of all this, much of their energy, time and resources to waste and they become victims of indecision. This leads to more and aimlessness.

The classes are over-crowded. There is no personal contact between teachers and students. There is too much pressure on students as they are always expected to score excellent grades. The system of examination is also very defective. It encourages copying, rot learning and reliance on cheap market notes. A month or so before the examination, the students engage themselves in studies. For the rest of the year they are idle. There are no extra-curricular activities worth their names. Their energies are not properly utilized, and therefore they find expression in violence, unrest and indiscipline. It has been rightly observed that an-empty mind is a devil’s workshop. An ideal hand is still worse.

The problem is grave but is not impossible to check it. It is the duty of the leaders, educationists and teachers to address the problem immediately. There should be no political interference in the running of schools etc. the entire education system should be over-hauled and made job-oriented. It should be linked with industry. The teachers should be given better salaries and allowances. They should be made accountable and responsible for the results and conduct of the students under them. There should be no school without proper facilities for games and sports. More emphasis should be laid on character-building, moral education and extra-curricular activities. Growing indiscipline and unrest among students is a great danger to our society and must be checked with the cooperation of all. The union elections in schools and colleges should not be allowed to be fought on political lines. They must function only as educational associations. The classes and their sections should not be crowded. Only the teachers with merits and good characters to be appointed in the schools. Privatisation of schools should also be encouraged. More money should be spent on education, particularly on primary education. There should be liberal and more scholarships for needy and meritorious students.

Top Gaming Influencers on YouTube

In YouTube and other social media platforms, any niche and any topic could lead you to earn huge profits just by uploading your videos and sharing it with the world. Every view counts, every like is worth a penny and every share is a traffic booster.

Online games have brought a lot of fun and excitement to our online community. As online games and online community increases from time to time, influencers are making more and more profits too. How does it work?

Here’s a list of Top Gaming Influencers on YouTube and how they started:

Mark Fischbach

Also known as Markiplier, a Hawaii-born army dropped out of college where he studied engineering, to grow his career as a YouTube gaming commentator. Specializing in the horror genre, his videos have been viewed over 7 billion times in five years. His ultimate sign of crossover success? He inked a deal with mega-agency William Morris Endeavor in 2016.

Felix Kjellberg

Also known as PewDiePie is the world’s highest-paid YouTube Influencer in 2016. The Swedish gamer would have topped the Gaming category if not for the nine videos he posted in early 2017, which contains Nazi imagery. Maker Studios, a subsidiary of Disney which is also his multi-channel network partner severed ties with him. He was also booted from YouTube’s Red platform and the Google Preferred program. He continues to make millions from YouTube ads alone while his brand is tarnished.

Evan Fong

A Canadian-born also was known as VanossGaming, to pursue his online career full-time, he dropped out of the University of Pennsylvania. He chats and makes jokes with his friends and collaborators while playing games like Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto on his YouTube Channel. He began voicing a character in adult cartoon series ‘Paranormal Action Squad’ for YouTube Red in 2016.

Sonja Reid

Also known as Omgitsfirefoxx, she first started live-streaming on gaming platform twitch in 2013. She posts highlights to YouTube where she quickly amassed an impressive following which had lead to partnerships with brands like Audi, Syfy, and Intel.

SSSniperWolf

A British-born YouTube influencer is also known as Lia Wolf which specializes in Call of Duty gameplay videos, also dabbles in cosplay and anime. With her over 5 million subscribers and followers, it had led her to partnerships with the likes of Activision, EA, Ubisoft, and Disney. She said, “I wanted to show that girls can play and be good at video games too.”

Jacksepticeye

His real name is Sean McLoughlin. He first took to YouTube in 2012 and then started posting daily in 2013. He is best known for his energetic and funny commentary. With his videos that have been viewed over 7.2 billion times, he is signed with Revelmode, a subnetwork of Disney’s Maker Studios.

DanTDM

Daniel Middleton is a professional gamer who is known online as DanTDM or The Diamond Minecraft. His mastery of popular family-friendly game Minecraft and his following had set him a Guinness World Record in 2016 for amassing the most views for a dedicated Minecraft channel which is 7.9 billion at the time.

TheSyndicateProject

Tom Cassell, the longtime gamer who was the first person to hit 1 million followers on live-streaming platform Twitch way back in 2014. Since then, he has received more than 10 million YouTube subscribers for his playthroughs of game franchises like Halo and Call of Duty. He is now signed to gaming influencer agency 3BlackDot with his fellow list members Sonja Reid and Evan Fong.

SkyDoesMinecraft

Adam Dahlberg, a YouTube veteran at the age of 24. He started as a voice actor for gaming videos back in 2006 and more than a decade on, his main channel focused on the hit kid-friendly game, Minecraft. He boasted over 11 million subscribers and he is now partnered with Amazon, Netflix, and Nintendo and sells merchandise to fans like posters and pillows.

Mari Takahashi

AtomicMari was the only female member of the mega-popular YouTube channel, Smosh Games, until early 2017. She stars in Maricraft, a sub-series with a focus on Minecraft gameplay. The former professional ballerina started hosting her Smosh Pit Weekly way back in 2010. Now, she boasts a social audience of over 2 million and in 2016, she competed as a cast member on the 33rd season of CBS hit called ‘Survivor.’

These YouTubers make millions a year by just playing and narrating video games.

How Can My Marriage Survive the Stress of Everyday Life?

In a world where one trillion is a household world, the stresses of just surviving life can become an overwhelming endeavor. More than ever, couples need to know how to stay connected through the trials coming their way.

I work with couples every week who are in complete survival mode. It’s like they are on a treadmill playing a game of ping pong. That plastic ball keeps coming at them from who knows what direction. They bat it away but it comes back. All the while they are trying to stay upright and running on the moving platform beneath them. Sounds like quite a tricky situation, no? OK, now picture two people doing this same action staying connected and communicating.

What I described is your typical young family in today’s culture. Somewhere in the mix of taking care of the things at hand, the marriage becomes disconnected, overwhelmed and shut down.

“Stop the world, I want to get off,” becomes the frequent cry for help. Amazingly enough, stopping is the first step to pushing back this ominous cloud of frantic activity. Here are some steps that might help your marriage reconnect.

1). Be intentional. Nothing ever happens unless you purposely schedule it. You have everything else on your daily task list… everything from taking out the garbage to putting food in the parakeet’s cage is on your list of things to do… why not put your marriage on the list too? Decide together that you are going to “meet” each other ten minutes a day to re-connect. This “meeting” has to be uninterrupted, so make it when the kids are in bed or before they get up. This might mean getting up 10 minutes earlier in the morning or going to bed 10 minutes later at night. Either way, this time is some of the most valuable time of the day so make the sacrifice.

2). Have eye contact. Sit quietly. Take 10 deep breaths. Look each other in the eyes. Do you remember when you first met how you probably sat and stared at each other longingly? This is the same concept except on an abbreviated basis. Eye contact is a very important component of communication. Don’t let that person at work be the only one who looks into your partners’ eyes.

3). Do you know that the average couple talks meaningfully only 20 minutes a week? Imagine if you spent 10 minutes a day gazing into each other’s eyes and having heart to heart communication. You would be three times more connected than the average couple in America! So during these 10 minutes of connection you talk about “heart subjects.” Here are some examples of “heart subjects.”

“How are you doing today? Are you feeling scared, overwhelmed, angry?”

“Where is your heart today? Can you tell me what you are feeling?”

“Help me understand how you are doing today. Tell me about where you are in your heart.”

4). Rules of the game as you can see above means you will explore how your partner feels. This “heart subject” connection means talking about “f-things”…feelings! You are not allowed to argue, try to settle past arguments, solve a problem or especially talk about finances! You are only allowed to look into your partner’s eyes and find out what is going on in their heart. Are they feeling alone, scared, overwhelmed?

Does this sound too hoakie or simple or just plain corny? Don’t knock it until you try it. I challenge you and your spouse to sit down and intentionally connect for ten minutes every day. You will not believe the difference it will make in helping you survive the insane ping pong treadmill of life.

  • 3 years ago
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Why International Peace and Security Studies?

The worst leaderships in Africa obtain 98% of votes as they are known to rig elections and render the dreams of change unattainable. People in Uganda, like many African countries need power that is translated from them to those become symbols of their power.

There is need to transform society from one that is abused by leaders to one that demands basic human rights and accountability. To achieve these civil society organizations and private individuals need to invest resources in civic action education countrywide, so that the population can be enlightened, and useful to themselves and the country.

By exploring more the heights in the discipline of peace and security, one attains a firm ground for not only local consulting works but global -as well in different aspects of achieving peace. Besides, with a MA in International Peace and Security Studies one can have much credibility in practices and works in aspects of peace studies and promotions.

With it, also, candidates will be in position to invent systems for socioeconomic, spiritual, cultural and political structural transformation towards a better world for everyone to live in. That shall be strengthened by an establishment of a global foundation for human and ecological wellbeing to monitor such progress.

Issues of peace and security in Africa are a robust requirement; unfortunately, we have very far professional experts in peace and security development. Lack of human resource necessary to avert conflict and redefine security in line with contemporary challenges remains a challenge -which by me adding to the existing numbers of peace experts in Africa, will be able to fill the void not only for the good of the greats lakes region but the world at large.

This year a peace and security study constitutes my current graduate program (peace and conflict studies) as a course-unit. This now gives me an opportunity to join King’s College, London to explore much aspects of security critical to my country’s needs and that of the region. Security issues are indeed very relevant to African context -where almost military approach is 100% the means of changing leadership and transforming society while security is ‘understood as possessions of arms to oppress nations as state legitimacy.’

These are critical issues one might love to see addressed -through redefinition of the state as legitimate instrument with the sole ownership of the means of violence. We need to begin looking at environmental security -from which life systems are sustained; food security, health security, education security, employment security, and revenue security dimensions -here their mismanagement can cause worst violence compared to one the state would if it failed to grasp different aspects of insecurity. Peace and development studies will help advance these notions forward for policy conceptualization, analysis, development and implementation.

Peace and security studies gives the depth of security content as pathway to peace beyond the current position where in the general studies of peace and conflict studies it is undertaken as a four months course unit. Delving greater into it obvious increases more understanding and relevant of peace studies with an African perspective with the biggest burden of primary security concerns as economic insecurity (poverty), educational insecurities and health insecurities.

By developing my peace and security mental faculty, I will be in position to argue out my cases right from an expert view point in my advocacy work, journaling moments and in an expert’s future dispensation of services in conflict management.

And coming from background of community mental health, at any level and situations a feeling of security and in control is vital for sanity to prevail among individuals -an element I could add on the discipline. Lack of control and feeling of insecurity within individuals is regulated by most African states to render citizens ‘governable’ -only dependent on the state for survival -a point where the state will be supported to reign and continue ‘helping’ those people to survive.

The growing rise of educated Africans and elitism demand operational democracy: not just theories and their manipulations by African prototype governance systems. The sense of security and certainty of the future is thus deem as security focus remains control of the wealth of those of have away from those who do not have. Under such circumstances revolutions will be part and parcel of the search for security and peace -united.

At any level security and peace must be sought through action when entire population is let to know and practice their rights -which on the other hand compel governments to act responsibly. The people must give direction to myopic leaders as a means to achieve security and peace.

African universities need to invest much in them as change agents that will transform Africa from the field of battles, disease, ignorance, manipulation, docility, intimidation and deaths from liberation struggles -to a prosperous yet secure and harmonious continent.

In achieving that harmony peace and security experts will be in position to successfully study the cracks in foreign affairs responsible for the insecurities in Africa, or any other angle the will be explored and blocked from causing regional and global catastrophes. They can be such challenges as global warming, war economy or unfair global economic policies, gender concerns during conflict times, unfair diplomatic underplays and selfish foreign policies.

Peace and security studies will help us dig deep in the various forms of insecurity that take toll on individuals and soon affect families, nation, regions and the world. In the same way it will help the state identify and understand the primary insecurities -both perceived and manifested ones that will cost it a fortune once it fails to deliver people expectations.

Once people and the state are made aware of the real legitimacy of citizenship and leadership, then civility in both will reign. Because the gun has been tested and nullified as a means to achieve security beyond the people power; peace and security studies help to elevate that understanding for which the state could invest in most.

  • 3 years ago
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